Francis degbn



'oNiTED sTATns PATENT ontr FRANCIS DEGEN, OF' NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD 0F SETTING OR IRONING HAT-BRIMS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 2,765, dated August 31, 1842.

-t-he former; Fig. 3, section of former.

The nature of my invention consists of a former for setting' hat brims to be attached to, and elevated above a hatters finishing bench sothat t-he brim can be turned by the iron without moving the hat. It is constructed as follows:

The frame A is formed of a bottom piece into which two upright posts are set; to the under side of the bottom clamps B, are afiXed to attach the frame to the bench by means of screws C. On the inside of the upper ends of the posts dove-tailed grooves are cut, to admit the tenons (a see Fig. 2) on the former D; the upper side of this piece is made of any desired form representing one half of the brim of a hat when in proper shape, a bead (b Fig. 3,) being left around the outer edge to curl the hat brim over. The former is elevated above the finishing bench by the frame above named to enable the finisher to use his iron in turning the edge of the brim without moving the hat; a semicircular concavity (c) is made in the edge of the former to embrace the hat-crown (as shown in Fig. l).

This machine attached to the finishing bench by the clamps and screws, receives the hat with its crown downward. rI`he brim is then moistened with a brush or sponge; a dry cloth is then put on it and a warm finishing iron passed over it; after the brim is softened and shaped in this way it is held tight to the machine by the hands till it is cool; the cloth is then removed and the brim smoothed off with an iron; to inish the other half the hat is turned and treated in like manner.

This machine can be made with a double former one on each side-but I prefer using only one as above described; by this mode of setting hats they are much more true and firm, and in setting` plush or silk hats by this process the upper side of the brim will never peel off or blister.

I/Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is Attaching the former D, as above described to a hatters finishing bench by means of the frame A, constructed and arranged in the manner described for the purpose of elevating the former above the bench to enable the operator to turn the brim with the iron without moving the hat as above set forth.

\ FRANCIS DEGEN. Vitnesses:

CARL I'I. AVERBERG, GEO. I-I. ANDERSON. 

